After a tumultuous four years since their surprising departure from the royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have once again been overlooked during the king's formal birthday celebration.
Except for 2019, when they appeared alongside the late Queen, the Sussexes have traditionally joined the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Despite receiving invitations to the Trooping the Colour since they moved abroad, they were not invited this year to their £12 million California property.
Tomorrow at the Trooping the Colour, Princess Catherine will make her public return following her cancer diagnosis. Courageous Catherine expressed her gratitude to supporters in a heartfelt personal letter. According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, the absence of Harry, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, will be a significant disappointment for him. Fitzwilliams believes that Harry's actions over the years, including referring to his stepmother Queen Camilla as a villain, will weigh heavily on him if he does not attend. Meanwhile, he insists that the Duchess of Sussex will remain unfazed.
Fitzwilliams noted that when it comes to military matters, the Duke has always been deeply interested. He undoubtedly sees the split with the royal family as partly the Sussexes' fault. They sought an apology from the royal family for their treatment as senior staff members, but it is unlikely they will receive it. Fitzwilliams expects Harry to feel some remorse for missing Trooping the Colour, given its military significance in his life. In contrast, he doubts the Duchess would care much about a ritual like Trooping the Colour.
On his most recent trip to the UK in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, the Duke did not meet with the king or his family. His quick visit was clearly business-oriented, aiming to return in time for his son Archie's fifth birthday and to spend time with the Duchess and their daughter Lilibet, who has yet to meet the king. Fitzwilliams remarked that he does not foresee Archie and Lilibet participating in Trooping the Colour or appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony unless the rift within the family is resolved. The media intensely covers the Sussexes whenever they appear, potentially overshadowing this weekend's parade.
